Arriving in Helsinki

We had an uneventful trip to Helsinki.  We left Toronto at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday September 23 and arrived a bit early in Frankfurt on September 24 at around 6:00 a.m.  We didn't sleep on the first flight as we arrived at midnight Toronto time.  Our next flight was at 9:30 a.m. We arrived in Helsinki at around 1:30 p.m.  (we are seven hours ahead of Toronto time).  We managed to get some sleep on the second flight. It was a beautiful sunny day in Helsinki with a high of 12C.

We took a bus into the city and were only about a three minute walk from our Airbnb.  We are staying in Kallio, a former working class neighbourhood which is now a more bohemian area attracting students and creatives.  It is one of the more diverse neighbourhoods in Helsinki.  

Approach to Helsinki-- from one side of the plane we saw water and many small islands

Fields, forests and small villages from the other side of the plane

Helsinki Airport was very modern and easy to navigate.

Nature represented at the airport

We were met outside the apartment building by Raoul, one of our Airbnb co-hosts.  He showed us around the spacious apartment.  The apartment building dates to 1923, and both the hallways and the units have incredibly beautiful etched ceilings and other details.  Very art nouveau. Lots of lighting and beautiful chandeliers.  It is a very quiet and clean building.

Living and dining rooms

Looking back at the kitchen--- wonderful ceiling

Bedroom-- more designs on the wall

Entrance hallway--- bathroom at the end.

Wonderful old fashioned elevator- we are on the 4th floor

Even the entrace to the building has etchings on the walls and ceiling

It turns out that one side of our apartment building is just accross from the Hakaniemen Kauppahalli Market Hall, which has been recently renovated.  It is open every day but Sunday until 6:00 p.m.

One side of the Market Hall

There are a number of spacious food stalls on the first floor of the building.  Some fruit and vegetable stalls and lots of meat and fish stalls.  There was also a cholocate and candy stall and an olive oil, tea and coffee shop.  There are some craft stalls and a restaurant on the second floor of the Market.

Fruit and veg stall

Lots of herring and smoked fish

Lots and lots of fresh and smoked salmon

Chocolates and candies

We stopped to buy some salmon.  We had a nice chat with the owner of one of the fish stalls, who gave us his card and told us to call him later in the week and he would make us some salmon soup (a Finnish specialty), without the cream.  Yum!  He also owned a small stall across the aisle with some prepared foods.  There was a cauldron of salmon soup (with cream) made by his wife and some fresh hot fish cakes that he had made with four fishes.  We got one large fish cake to share for a late lunch.

Gorgeous fish-- salmon is one of the main ingredients in Finnish cooking

Outside the Market building were a number of vendors under tents. Lots of clothes/crafts but as well some food vendors.

Lots of different Finnish berries

Italian cheeses

Photo from the tent area of the back side of Market which has outdoor seating.

After we dropped our purchases at the apartment, we headed up one of the nearby streets to go for a coffee at Way Bakery, which we had read about.

Modern building en route

Lots of greenery on the streets

Seating outside the bakery

We had our coffees inside as it was cooling down.  The bakery has a small indoor seating area and a large adjoining kitchen where they make delicious looking pastries.

Allan with his cortado.  I had a filtered coffee, popular in Helsinki. 

Nearby WWII Memorial

We walked down a different street and took a photo of the Market Hall from another angle.

Another side of the Hakaniemen Kauppahalli market hall- I love the two women in the sign

Our apartment building-- we enter from the street on the right side of the building 

We finished unpacking and Allan made a fabulous dinner with the salmon we had just bought at the Market.   A very nice introduction to Helsinki.  Very clean, green city and people are very friendly.  A great place to explore.  We are heading off to take a Free Tour of Helsinki just after I post this blog on Thursday morning.